Blogs from Namche, Nepal, Asia - page 3

Happy Anniversary to my Mum and Dad! The snow has stopped falling, it is utterly beautiful outside. After a bowl of ultra thin porridge (NPI score of 4/10) supplemented by a chapatti with honey we head off to start our day. The walk out of the village was utterly incredible. The snow was pristine, powdery and soft, I love that squeaky noise it makes as you are walking on it. It is 0750 and the sun is shining- it is going to be a very good day. We leave the village heading downhill. It is a very comfortable walk. The surrounding trees are loaded with snow- it is a Hallmark xmas card moment if ever there was one. It is incredibly quiet and one of the most beautiful days yet. As the sun warms things up ... read more

Namche Bazaar Acclimatisation Day Headache gone, sleep well. Work out that residual water in my thermos (still hot) can be put into small jug in bathroom lined with plastic shower cap = wash! = ingenious. Go to breakfast refreshed and smelling sweet. Late breaky at 0745 because its our "rest" day- porridge rates 8/10 on the Nepali porridge index (NPI). Guide and porter are majorly calorie loading- cornmeal, eggs, toast ++ and coffee- hmmm. We sip on our black tea and finish our small serve of porridge. 0840 we make our way up the hill, wow- the elevation kicks in- its a bit harder going this morning. We reach the Tashi Delek Monastery, pass the mani walls and prayer wheels in gold and others in red. Stunning views. Lots of blue pine and juniper (even typing ... read more

Greetings under-fed readers. Many apologies for the sparsity of updates but finding an online presence has been tricky since I left Dingboche all those days ago (feels like weeks). So, I left you as I was heading up to Chukkung and onwards to the pointy bit of Imja Tse. I'll try to post some details below but first I need to make a statement to alleviate some fears raised by a little bit of miscommunication. Status: All fingers fine, all toes fine, all thumbs fine, health good (if one ignores the sniffles and nasal congestion of high altitude). Hiking away happily and strongly every day apart from today (rest day in Namche). Apologies for any concerns I raised by being jovial about the temperature of my extremities. Right, now back to the story. So, after my ... read more

Ready to Leave Namche... read more

Had the best nights sleep so far, but still not managing a normal straight 7 or 8 hours that I was expecting, despite the exercise. The Himalaya is a very dry climate - difficult to believe with the rivers and snow around. The result of this is that you wake up several times a night with a very dry throat, which a swig or two of chilled water by your beside relieves for a few hours. I am expecting this to "condition" to worsen as we get higher. My bags are packed early for the trek out out Namche. Feeling good about the days journey ahead. The first 10 steps or so out of the hotel feel hard work, and remind me of the lower levels of oxygen I still haven't go used to - another ... read more